.ova package

[annde...@gmail.com]

Hi folks,

I have a .ova package which is basically a prebuilt OS that I need to work with for a course at university. I've tried manually installing virtualbox/vmware but both failed because of a "Cannot install in a Xen environment"(something like that) error.
Is it possible that I somehow get that to run?

Kind Regards

[Marek Marczykowski-Górecki]

You can try to run such machine in HVM on Qubes.
Take a look here:
http://edoceo.com/notabene/ova-to-vmdk-to-qcow2

You'll need "raw" image (instead of qcow2), then use:
qvm-create --hvm --root-move-from=path/to/that/image (...)

Such VM will have (most likely) different emulated hardware, but linux should
work well with it (perhaps some boot options needs to be altered).

--
Best Regards,
Marek Marczykowski-Górecki
Invisible Things Lab
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?

[annde...@gmail.com]

Sadly, this doesn't seem to work. I've converted the .vmdk into a .raw but when trying to boot from it in the HVM, I get a 'CDROM boot failure code 0004'. :(

 

[annde...@gmail.com]

Oh wait, I've actually tried to run the HVM with:
qvm-create --hvm somevm --label somelabel
qvm-start somevm --cdrom=appvm:/home/user/Downloads/thefileitrytobootfrom.raw

Is that wrong?

[Marek Marczykowski-Górecki]

Try --hddisk instead of --cdrom.

[annde...@gmail.com]

That apparently gives me  CDROM boot failure code 0002. :(

[Marek Marczykowski-Górecki]

On 01.08.2014 01:11, annde...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>
> On Thursday, July 31, 2014 10:48:15 PM UTC, Marek Marczykowski-Górecki
> wrote:
>>

>> On 01.08.2014 00:44, annde...@gmail.com <javascript:> wrote:
>>> Oh wait, I've actually tried to run the HVM with:
>>> qvm-create --hvm somevm --label somelabel
>>> qvm-start somevm
>>> --cdrom=appvm:/home/user/Downloads/thefileitrytobootfrom.raw
>>>
>>> Is that wrong?
>>
>> Try --hddisk instead of --cdrom.
>

> That apparently gives me CDROM boot failure code 0002. :(

Try press F12 during VM startup to select boot device. That VM will have two
hard disks (root.img and that one from --hddisk option), so not sure if it is
possible to select from _which_ hard disk OS should be booted...

If it doesn't help, try to copy disk image to dom0 [1] and use it as root.img
(either create new VM with qvm-create --root-move-from, or replace root.img in
existing VM). Then start the VM without --hddisk option.

[1] https://wiki.qubes-os.org/wiki/CopyToDomZero

[annde...@gmail.com]

Just to be sure, I can change the path to the root.img in /var/lib/qubes/appvms/c5a/c5a.conf (with c5a being the hvm), right?

 

[annde...@gmail.com]

Marek, thank you SO MUCH, sir! After copying the .img to dom0 and booting the hvm without --hddisk it works perfect! To answer my last question myself, I just copied my .img with mv to /var/lib/qubes/appvms/c5a/root.img.

You guys deserve a donation for your awesome work, where to donate? :)

[Marek Marczykowski-Górecki]

Here:
https://wiki.qubes-os.org/wiki/Donations
:)

[annde...@gmail.com]

Unfortunately I have to roll this out again, since I don't have any internet connectivity in the HVM.
I've assigned the IP/netmask/gateway to eth0 in the hvm according to qvm-ls -n.
I can ping the gateway from the hvm but theres no internet access.

I've basically no clue what's wrong here (something xen related?), would be great if someone can help out.